ABOUT THE SHOW

ABOUT THE SHOW

Youth America Grand Prix is the arena for many dance hopefuls. Dance School Diaries looks inside the lives of four Orange County teenagers competing in this prestigious youth ballet competition. On this journey, some will rise and some will fall under the pressure, but in the end all will have changed in the pursuit of their dreams.

FEATURING

Andrea Guite

Talented but distracted by her social life, Andrea Guite has just returned to public high school after being homeschooled for several years. Will her passion for dance outweigh the fun of being a teen, or will the dedication it takes to become a professional dancer be too much for Andrea?

Lex Ishimoto

Backstage, things aren’t always easy for the b-boy ballerino, Lex Ishimoto. Conflicted by his interest in street dance and his formal training in ballet, Lex gets pressured by his teachers and friends to choose a side. Will Lex be able to balance both worlds and keep his friendships while making a career in the ballet world?

Sage Humphries

The face of Abercrombie & Fitch and Ford Model Sage Humphries always finds time in her busy schedule to make room for ballet. She has been preparing for a career in ballet for the last decade, and she dreams of being accepted into the American Ballet Theatre. Will her dream come true and all her hard work pay off?

Madison Chappell

Madison Chappell is the newbie dancer who is unaware of all the pressures, demands and intensity of the youth ballet circuit. With such little training, she fights to stay competitive and relies on her raw talent to turn heads and earn her place at the finals. Will she crack under the pressure, or will she wow everyone with her natural abilities?

Salwa Rizkalla

Salwa Rizkalla runs Southland Ballet Academy, which has been in business for over thirty years and has nine studios with over seven hundred students. Her teaching style is all about love and giving her dancers the chance to shine on stage.

Dmitri Kulev

Dmitri Kulev and his wife Jennifer, both former principal dancers with the Bolshoi Ballet, have been running Ballet Academy for eight years. They are known for creating professional working ballerinas that are disciplined and ready for the business of ballet.